Simon Corley wrote about Hovhaness' "Mysterious Mountain":

>this symphony is like Ives or Messiaen without genius, very
>scholastic and poorly orchestrated.

"Mysterious Mountain" is an early and not fully representative piece, in
which AH is still rather hesitant about going along with the full courage
of his later conviction.  This results in some sense of technical unease,
though it's by no means an ineffective work, and certainly put the
composer's name on the map.

After all it's only his Symphony No.2 - but in the right hands it can
certainly come off.  I recommend Simon Corley to try the Fritz Reiner
version before dismissing it out of hand (he'll also get classic versions
of "La Baiser de Fee" and "Lieutenant Kije" for his time if he does.)

Do Mr Corley's judgements perhaps issue from the use of inappropriate
yardsticks in place of active listening? His wildly wrong classification
of the work as "scholastic" leads me to think so.

I can't see any point of reference whatsoever to either Messiaen or Ives
in this music, except for the two Americans' textural use of fugato.  And
Hovhaness - like Rubbra - is simply not concerned with "effective" as
opposed to imaginative orchestration.  Again, listen to the Saint Vartan
Symphony.

Christopher Webber,  Blackheath, London,  UK.
http://www.nashwan.demon.co.uk/zarzuela.htm
"ZARZUELA!"